Sold more retail “big ticket” items “one at a time” than any other salesperson in any retail industry including houses, boats, motor homes, insurance, automobiles, etc.Audited by the Accounting Firm of Deloitte & Touche, audit available on request.

Lock up Every Opportunity

We all know how important and satisfying it is to achieve the goals we set out to accomplish in life. I spent an entire career in retail sales setting and breaking my own records. I achieved what I did because I never took anything for granted, even after I became number one in the world. I locked up my opportunities because my mindset remained unchanged from the very first sale I ever made. I remember it well. That customer sitting across from me that day was not a man in a brown suit. He was that “bag of groceries” I desperately needed to feed my family. I was “hungry” during my 15 years of selling. And I remained “hungry” until I closed the last of my 13,001 sales. If there was one thing I WAS NOT, it was complacent—not a day in my life after that first sale.

I don’t care what field you’re in, there’s too much competition out there to risk missing an opportunity you may get only one shot at. You must be hungry. Starvation is the great teacher of appreciation. If you like steak but haven’t eaten a thing in a week, a piece of stale bread starts to look pretty good. If you want to lock up every opportunity, here’s my advice: get your heart, your body, and your mind focused on the goal. Block everything else out. And if its personal goals we’re talking about achieving, even more so.

Sometimes achieving goals can be especially difficult. You may be called upon to do what may seem impossible to you—helping a friend or relative through troubled times. Like me, you may not be an experienced counselor or an expert but you can make a difference. This is especially true if it’s someone you know personally. The person you’re helping believes YOU hold their “trust” card in your hand. They’re counting on YOU to help them get back on track, so you’ve got to get it right for them. When you’re faced with a mountain like that to climb, closing the deal can be really tough. But it’s also a tremendous opportunity to see if you have what it takes to lock it up!

Lock up every opportunity with TRUST. If there’s one thing a person wants more than anything else from another, its trust. Learn to build those bridges of trust with your customers and special people in your life. Don’t be afraid to encourage them to open up to you (or you to them for that matter). Just ask:

“Why did you buy from me?”

“What was it that I did that made a difference?”

“What can I do to make your experience even more meaningful in the future?”

I would often ask questions like these when I made my customer follow-up calls three days after a purchase. I made sure they knew I wasn’t calling just to get flattering comments. I had very precise reasons to follow up with my customers. I wanted them to feel good about their decision to buy from me and I genuinely wanted to keep getting better and better at what I did. Not only did they appreciate the thoughtfulness, but they were very open and responsive in telling me what they liked about the Joe Girard experience. Keep building those bridges. Don’t ever take your customers for granted. Lock up every opportunity you have with them to build lasting relationships. Begin with trust and continue with outstanding service. If it’s your family, never let go.